Government pensions

Saturday, 4 August 2012

The most secure sector of employees out there when it comes to
pension plans are those that work for the government. They are the
backbone of pension plans and in 2006 implemented the Pension Act to
ensure people are able to access the money they are entitled to. They
lead by example and they make sure their own employees have amazing
pension programs to rely on for their own retirement.

At the same time, in many instances these government pensions don't
count when a person goes to apply for social security benefits. This
means they can easily reap those additional benefits. Many people
complain about this clause though because their own pension plan doesn't
allow for them to have this exemption. They also argue that a pension
plan should be in place so people don't have to rely upon social
security benefits when they retire.

The government will be the first to tell you that there are plenty of
issues still to be resolved with pension plans though. The first is to
ensure that the majority of people in the work force have access to
them. Some businesses don't offer them so the individuals don't take the
initiative to set up their own account for retirement with an outside
source. They tend to spend what they earn and to have very little money
even in a savings account.

The goal is to get more businesses to offer pension plans. There are
employers out there that make it mandatory for employees to join them.
They are willing to match the contributions dollar for dollar though up
to a specific amount per year. This is a great way for people to build
up the money in their pension easier. It may take a set amount of years
on the job before they are fully vested though.

The pension plans that are out there with the help of the government
though give such employers a break. They feel it reduces the burden of
society when individuals are able to take care of their own medical and
living expenses upon retirement. They want to make sure the various
pension plans out there allow this to be the case.